Not As It Seems

Author's note:
I started to write this piece a couple years ago before putting it aside. I found it a couple...
Show full author's note »

Author's note: I started to write this piece a couple years ago before putting it aside. I found it a couple weeks ago and started up again and ended up getting caught up it. Please tell me what you think :) thankyou!
« Hide author's note

Golden Perfection

Why on earth did I do that? Lilly wonders as she walks down the road, shivering from the cool Maine breeze. Pulling her jacket tighter around her she hears a car coming behind her a sighs in relief when it doesn’t stop as it passes. She kicks the rocks with her sock covered feet as she walks, still swinging her sneakers in her hand.
Humming to herself she checks the time on her phone, 11pm, and drops it when she hears rustling from the woods on the edge of the deserted road.
“Hello?” she whispers, heart pounding in her ears, “Is someone there?”
Picking up her phone she peers in the woods, scanning for any more movement. She curses to herself as she moves and steps on a pile of leaves, crunching loudly under her feet. Hearing more movement she freezes, silent. Eyes widening she sees a quick flash of gold behind a nearby tree and surprising herself, she feels her hands curl into fists, tensed for a fight.
After a few minutes of silence, she unclenches her fists, turning back to the road. Feeling a breath on her neck, she spins, screaming, before hands cover her mouth and all she sees is gold and yellow.
“Shhh!” standing before her is a guy, probably 16 or 17, shaking his blonde hair, and looking at her with brilliant gold eyes. Removing his hand from her mouth he touches one finger to his lips, telling her to stay silent.
He moves away from her, scanning the woods for a moment before, tuning back towards her,
“Are you okay?” he asks, looking at her like she’s a friend.
She looks at him with wide eyes, silent, until he turns away, shrugging.
“Who are you?” she manages, still staring at him, taking in his light clothes and unmistakable glow as he turns toward her, confused,
“You don’t know who I am?” he asks, voice disbelieving. Shaking her head she cocks her head, waiting for his answer.
“I’m Dylan,” he says, smiling and offering his hand. She stares at it for a moment before shaking it saying,
“I’m Lilly,”
“I know,” he smiles at her, teeth startlingly white.
Even though she knows she should be going to leave, and panicking at the thought of her knowing her name, she stay’s where she is, curious.
“How do you know who I am?” she asks sitting down on the side of the road, slipping on her shoes that she had dropped when he grabbed her.
Still standing, he glances around nervously, “How about I give you a ride home?” he says, ignoring her question.
She grunts, annoyed that he didn’t answer her question until she glances at the road, seeing a yellow Jeep that certainly wasn’t there before. Looking back at him, his hand is reaching down towards her; she stares at it.
“Don’t you trust me?” he jokes, hand still outstretched.
Lilly reaches up and grabs his hand, confused when she realizes that even though they only just meet, she does trust him.
As he drives her home, she tries to think of how to make conversation. Giving up she asks what’s on her mind,
“Why are you driving me home?” she looks at him, turning in her seat.
“You didn’t have a ride,” he says simply. Sighing she says,
“That’s not what I meant,” she turns back towards the road, not expecting him to answer.
“I know,” he whispers, silent for a moment before sneaking a look at her and continuing,
“Let’s just say your father would have wanted me to make sure you were safe,” he says, eyes back on the road, not seeing her jaw drop in disbelief. Before she can say anything he continues,
“We’re here,” he puts the car in park, turning towards her.
She pushes aside her questions about her father and finds herself staring back at him, wanting feel his soft hair in her fingers, see his bright eyes up close…
“How did you know where I lived?” she blurts out, feeling a blush creep up her neck, thankful for the darkness of night.
“It’s not important,” he says turning away from her and looking down at the steering wheel. Slowly Lilly opens the car door, waiting for him to protest. He doesn’t. Sighing she steps out, turning back when she he starts to talk.
“Bye Lilly” he says, smiling a small, almost sad smile, before she closes the door. On her porch, she turns around to wave goodbye only to find he’s gone.

After waking her mom to tell her she’s home she goes into her room and lays down for bed, fully clothed, going over everything that happened that night. Hearing her cell phone beep, she picks it up, seeing she has two missed calls from Adam. Teary eyed, she turns off her phone, throwing it across her room into her black fuzzy chair, and falls asleep still picturing Adam’s shocked face and Dylan’s contagious grin.